The local Red Cross chapter will host a blood drive 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 7 at Scotts Valley's community center, 360 Kings Village Road.

Donors are asked to RSVP. Go to www.redcrossblood.org and enter the sponsor code "scottsvalley" or call 800-733-2767. ID is required to donate.

MONTEREY

Otter group expands leadership

Two UC Santa Cruz faculty members have joined the board of Friends of the Sea Otter as part of an expansion of the leadership team of the advocacy group.

James Estes is a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and is one of the world's leading sea otter biologists. Cindy Tucey teaches undergraduate courses in American politics.

The group also has two new staff members. Jim Curland worked for Friends of the Sea Otter from 1998-2000, and is returning after spending the past 11 years as marine program associate for Defenders of Wildlife. Frank Reynolds, a recent graduate of a master's degree program at Monterey Institute for International Studies, has been hired as program manager. For information, go to www.seaotters.org.

Pacific Grove

EcoFarm plans annual conference

The Ecological Farming Association will hold more than 60 workshops for beginning and veteran farmers at its 33rd annual conference Jan. 23-26 at the Asilomar Conference Grounds.

For the first time, EcoFarm will offer participants the chance to meet one-on-one with nonprofit experts on a range of topics, from pollination to land access and finance.

There also will be pre-conference farm tours and a butchery skills seminar, as well as artisan food tastings, live entertainment, an awards ceremony, farmer mixers, roundtable discussions and an exhibitor marketplace showcasing more than 50 ecologically based businesses and organizations.

The contest features four age group divisions: 3-5, 6-11, 11-16, and 17 and older. Winning submissions are entered in the international competition in Sestri, Italy, one of Santa Cruz's five sister cities. Entries are due Jan. 18.

Hans Christian Andersen visited Sestri for many years, and the international competition is a celebration of his time there.